leblanc



3 Sheets-Sheet 1i (No Model.)

A. LEBLANC.

SUGAR GANE MILL. Nu. 304,012. Patented Aug. 26, 21884.

WiTNESSES INVENTOR (No Model.) f 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. LEBLANC..

SUGAR GANE MILL.

Patented Aug. 26,1884. L

INVENTOR WITESSES 3 Sheets-Sheeb 3.

INVENTO'R MMM A. LEBLANC.

SUGAR CANE MLL. No. 304,012. Patented Aug. 26, 1884.

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PEtIEISATIQ-d forming part of Letters Patent No. 304,012, daten enges-z 2e, ieee.

Application tiled December 15,1853. (No model.)

T0 (all whom, t www] con-ocra:

Be it known that I, ALFRED LEBLANC, a cit izen oiFrance, residing at Cienfuegos, Province of Santa Clara Isle ofCuba, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sugar- CaneBIills; and I hereby declare the same in and by the following full, clear, and exact descripis to produce a compressing mill that shall embody in a single structure means for pressing the cane as many times as may be required, and mea-ns' for moistening it in an improved manner during the process of compressing; and it consists of suitable rolls for crushing the cane and expressing the juice, and separate conductors-one for a liquid and one for steam-so arranged, that the crushed cane is first moistened and then submitted to the action of steam as it passes from'one set or pair of rolls to another pair.

In the drawings accompanying this specification, Figure I is an end view of a machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is aside view ot' the same in partial section on the plane a: i@ of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the rolls and associated parts.

Referring to these views in detail, A is thc bed of the machine; B B, the standards or housings that contain the journals of the rolls.

C is the large cent-ral roll, about which are grouped the smaller rolls D E F, arranged as shown, one on each side of the large roll with their axes in the same horizont-al plane, and one beneath the large roll, with its axis in the same vertical plane. These rolls are provided with suitable journal-boxes and such other auxiliary supporting devices as are necessary, and are mounted in their housings in any ofthe well-known ways.

G is awedge (shown in dotted lines) lying in a mortise in the standard and bearing against the upper slightly-beveled surface of the journal-box ot' the roll C. Its stem G is threaded, and enters the correspondingly internallythreaded sleeve of the gear II, which gear is opera-ted by thchand-whcel I through worm J and wormwheel K and its pinion Ii. The worm-shaft In extends to the other end of the machine, where it bears another worm designed to operate a second wedge that is constructed and arranged like wedge G, and located at this end ofthe large roll. 'Vhen the hand-wheel I is turned, the wedges at the ends of the large roll will be simultaneously moved toward or i rom the threaded gears H, and the largeroll C either brought nearer the under roll or released7 so that it may separate therefrom. device for moving the roll I?, which device is similar to that employed to adjust the large roll. By the use oi' these adjusting devices the clogging of ythe machine is quickly reinedied and the adjustment of the rolls readily accomplished. These devices maybe applied to the other rolls, though in a machine of this particular kind the adjusting oi the rolls indicated will be suil'icient.

It is designed that the small rolls shall gencrally be three in number, and, commencing with the roll D, shall be adjusted successively nearer the large roll, so that three successive pressures may be put upon the cane, as this number is in practice found 'to give the best results; but it may be advantageous for some uses of such a machine to increase the number of the rolls7 so as to even more economically express the juice by still further pressure.

0 represents the receiving and P the discharging chute, and this latter chute is made removable, and is provided with a scraper, Q, weighted and movable as shown, which is intended to direct the bagasse from the large roll into the discharge-chute and prevent it from passing around the main roll C.

It R represent clearing knives or Scrapers, which are located between and bear upon the small rolls, as shown, and are used to prevent the bagasse from winding around these rolls, and for keeping it upon the main roll and directing it through the machine. These knives constitute the faces of the perforated injectin chests S S, which chests have two chambers, S S2, which are respectively for conveying lwater and steam to the bagasse as it passes from one roll to another. The perforations T in the faces of the injecting-chests are so inclined and arranged as to open below the bot- N is the hand-wheel of au adjustingv `tion of the mass.

tom of the interior of the chambers of the chests, in order that any juice that may work into the chests cannot collect and sour, but is readily drained therefrom.

One reason for injecting the bagasse with steam is to eoagulate the albuminous matter in the cane, and thereby cause it to adhere to and pass off with the bagasse, thus saving the chemical operations Jthat are necessary to separate it from the juice during evaporation, as is requisite when it has been expressed therewith. The steaming of the bagasse between successive pressures also materially aids in eifectually expressing the juice, for, as the bagasse come from each pressure in a quite spongy and comparatively dry condition, the success of the following pressure depends to a considerable extent upon it being first proper] y remoistened. It should be understood in this connection that the crushed cane has the property of absorbing its own juices, which makes it desirable to immediately, after each pressure, thoroughly moisten it before the expressed juice can be absorbed. I have found that this moistening of the bagasse after each pressure is best effected by subjecting it rst to jets of water, and then t jets of steam,whieh I accomplishL by supplying the chambers S with water or any other suitable liquid and the chambers S2 with steam. This order of injecting the liquid and steam is quite essential to the best results, for the heat ofthe steam, if steam be alone or first used, debilitates the capillarity and vitality of the fiber of the bagasse and prevents it from absorbing sufficient moisture to properly prepare it for the next pressure, but when the water is applied first to the bagasse it is absorbed to the full normal capacity of the mass, and the after heating of the bagasse and absorbed water by the steam produces the requisite complete satura- By this process of treatment in a machine of the character here described the expressing operation is made continuous and more effective than heretofore, for the cane is subjected to the various steps of the process in such rapid succession as to prevent it from gaining any condition opposed to the best results.

In this connection an important feature of this machine is that any number of pressures less than its full capacity maybe availed of, should it be so desired,`be cause of insufiicient power to properly .drive the whole machine, or to secure high speed with little power, or for any of the reasons that usually call for machines of special constructions; and this is accomplished, for example, where it is desired to utilize but two pressures, by withdrawing the last roll from its working position, removing the last steamchest, and advancing the movable dischargechute, so that it will receive the bagasse as it leaves the second small roll. It should be remarked that this adaptability of the machine is attained, mainly, by reason of the special arrangement of the rolls here shownthat is, the arrangement of a large or main roll having various smaller rolls acting in conjunction with such main roll to secure various successive pressures; but it will of course be understood that the improved means for moistening the bagasse between pressures are applicable to other juice-expressingmills where separate sets or pairs of rolls are used, and also that the liquid and steam conductors may be made in other forms than those here shown. The process of thus extracting cane-juice constitutes the subject of another application led April 29, 1884, Serial No. 129,765, and is not accordingly here claimed.

Vhat is claimed as new isl. The combination, in a sugar-cane mill, of

rolls for crushing the cane, and separate liquid and steam conductors located between the rolls that effect successive pressures, and arranged to inject the bagasse as it passes from one pressure to another-first with a liquid, and `then with steam-as and for the purpose set forth. 2. The combination, in a sugar-cane mill, of a central roll, C, two or more rolls, D and E, grouped around the central roll, and a liquidconductor, S', and a steam-conductor, S2, arranged between the rolls, as and for the p'urpose set forth.

ALFRED LEBLANC. Vitnesses:

R. EDG-au, YcNAcio NORABUENA. 

